Abstract 5530: A community led approach to addressing disparities in pancreatic cancer care for Native Americans in Oregon
Authors: Claymore Kills First, Grace A. McCarthy, Charles D. Lopez, Brett C. Sheppard, Jackilen Shannon, Jonathan R. Brody
Journal: Cancer Research (2023)

Abstract Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States (US). Due to unique barriers facing Native Americans (NA) patients, this underrepresented population has worse outcomes and increased mortality. In Oregon, NAs have nearly double the PDAC incidence rate compared to the general US population. Oregon Health &amp; Science University (OHSU) is a leader in PDAC care and research, yet NAs remain underrepresented in pancreatic cancer research at OHSU, and across the country. This highlights the need for a focused and comprehensive research program that collaborates with local tribal communities to identify specific issues and barriers that can be addressed to improve patient care in the NA population. We hypothesize that if we establish a workflow that strengthens existing relationships with tribal communities and leverages established OHSU infrastructure and expertise, we can directly address the unmet need of understanding, preventing and treating PDAC for NA individuals in our local communities. This includes increasing enrollment of NAs in PDAC clinical trials and developing a genetic registry that could help both depict genetic underpinnings that predispose NA individuals to PDAC and potentially guide therapeutic approaches. To build trust within NA communities, we initiated collaborations with Oregon tribes to develop culturally appropriate programs guided by NA community members. Through OHSU’s Northwest Native American Center of Excellence, we developed a close relationship with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Together with our institution’s Community Outreach, Research, and Engagement (CORE) team, we are working with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to better understand provider and NA community member attitudes towards and barriers to clinical trial participation. We will incorporate these perceptions into a tribe-specific program that describes the multi-faceted facilitators and barriers that inform decision-making. Moreover, we are implementing a patient navigator program to help NA patients overcome clinical trial barriers by providing culturally appropriate patient education, reimbursement for travel-associated expenses, local administration of chemotherapy, and telehealth capabilities. Future work includes co-implementing strategies for tribes to review incoming research requests with the goal of implementing a system to promote awareness and enrollment of NAs in PDAC clinical research. This system will be then be utilized to establish the first NA PDAC tissue registry to identifying gene-environment interactions and unique genetic alterations that may predispose NA individuals to PDAC. Overall, this collaborative work will create a roadmap for engagement and a conscientious process to provide awareness and the best in class treatment for NA individuals with PDAC. Citation Format: Claymore Kills First, Grace A. McCarthy, Charles D. Lopez, Brett C. Sheppard, Jackilen Shannon, Jonathan R. Brody. A community led approach to addressing disparities in pancreatic cancer care for Native Americans in Oregon. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5530.